Vacuum can closing machine



Feb. 6, 1940- A. M. CAMERON VACUUM CAN CLOSING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 19, 1937 Feb? 6, 1940- A. M. CAMERON VACUUM CAN CLOSING MACHINE Filed April 19, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 6, 1940. CAYM'ERON 2,188,939

' VACUUM CAN CLOSING MACHINE Filed April 19, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 H11 'L o 4 191 CZZZcLn/M 622122670 4 Patented Feb. 6, 1 940 areas s9 vacuum can cnosnvo mom Allan M. Camerolnqak Park, 111., assignor to Cameron Can Machinery (70., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application April is, *1931, Serial No. 131,014

1 Claims. 01. 113-82) s PATENT OFFICE This invention pertains in general, to closing machines adapted to double seam the ends or caps onto previously formed and filled tin can bodies. While many of the principles of the 5 invention are capable of embodiment in closing machines generally of this type, some of the important features with which this invention is concerned have reference more particularly to closing machines of the vacuum pack type, that 10, is, machines adapted to close and seal the can bodies in vacuo so that the contents of the cansare retained and preserved 'in a vacuum or partial vacuum.

In closing machines of the vacuum type, conl5 siderable dimculty has heretofore been experienced in maintaining a sufiieiently high vacuum in the chamber inwhich the double seaming operation is performed by reason of the fact that the chamber walls were necessarily penetrated by several rapidly operating machineparts in- 80 My present invention is designed to overcome the sealing difficulties to which reference has been made by positioning all of the rapidly operating parts of the seaming mechanism entirely within the chamber so that. the chamber walls 38 will be penetrated only by slowmoving parts which can be eflectually sealed and the seals for which, because of the slow operation, can be maintained for long periods without undue wear or necessity for renewal.

40 Heretofore also considerable difficulty has been experienced in maintaining a hermetic seal between the turret by which the can bodies are introduced into and removed from the vacuum chamber and the vacuum chamber walls con- 45 tiguous to the turret. 1 One of the purposes of my present invention is to maintain an effective seal between the turret and the surrounding chamher and without the employment of resilient packings or other elements which-are subject to to wear and deterioration with resultant leakage.

' Another feature of my invention resides in the provision of a rigid top plate above the turret at -a point where the filled can bodies are fed to the turret which will oppose the upward thrust 55 of the filled bodies if the'contents project above the tops of the bodies, therebyserving to press the contents down into the'bodies' to enable the caps to be readily applied. Furthermore, this plate is mounted {so as to be readily removable so as to permit access to the body and cap beneath in the event of an accidental jam or other defect in operation. The removal of the plate enables the operator of the machine to relieve, the jam or remedy the defect, whatever it may be.

Another feature of this invention resides in 10 the mechanism by which the filled can bodies are delivered to the turret, the delivery being such that the movement of the filled bodies is continuous from the conveyor into the turret without abrupt change either in direction or speed so that the contents of the bodies, and particularly if they be liquid, are not disturbed or caused to slop over.

The mechanism by which the can bodies are separated one from another and fed to the turret 20 in predetermined timed relation and by which jamming or injuryto the bodies by reason of improper spacing is obviated constitutes also one of the novel and advantageous features of this invention. g5

- For the purpose of exemplification, I have illustrated on the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of my invention, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following specification, the construc- 30 tion, operation and practical advantages of my invention should be readily appreciated.

Referring to the drawings: 3

Fig; 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through 'a closing machine constructed in acu cordance with my invention;.- p

Fig. his a similar view constituting an upward continuation of Fig. 1;

' Figs. 2 and 2* constitute together a transverse sectional view of the machine taken on the line a 2-2 of Fig. 1;'

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 3+3 of Fig. l";

Fig; 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and 5 Fig. 5 is an elevation of one of-the machine details taken substantially on the line 5-4 of Referring to the drawings more in detail, reference character '0 indicates the base of the ma- 5o chine which, together with the closed frame I carried by the base,'forms a closed housing for many of the operating parts of the machine. Upon the housing I' is mounted the vacuum chamber I in which the double seaming mechanism, to be later described, is contained; and above'this chamber on a plate-like support 9 constituting a portion of the top of the machine is mounted the electrically operated driving motor I l by which the entire machine is driven.

The lower end of the motor shaft is equipped with a pinion l2 which meshes with and drives a gear wheel I3 fixed upon the upper end of the hollow shaft H which extends vertically through the upper wall l5 and lower wall l6 of the vacuum chamber and is provided at its lower end with a bevel driving pinion l'l. This shaft is journalled in an upper bearing I3 and a lower bearing l9 and is hermetically sealed against leakage into the vacuum chamber by suitable packing glands, each comprising a packing nut acting to compress packing material 2| into sealing relation with the perimeter of the shaft. Within the vacuum chamber there is fixedly mounted upon the shaft l4 a pair of gears 22 and 23 of different diameters meshing respectively with the seaming head driving gear '24 and a cam actuating' gear 25 by which the control cams 26 and the seaming head indicated generally by 21 are respectively rotated at different speeds. The shaft carrying the head, the camsand the lastmentioned gears is joumalled at its upper end in a bearing 28 supported from the walls of the vacuum chamber. The seaming chuck 29 projects beneath the head in the usual manner and one of the seamingrolls adapted to cooperate therewith is indicated by reference character 3|.

The details of the construction of the seaming mechanism are not herein illustrated as no novelty for their constructionis here alleged. The

structural details of these parts are fully disclosed in Cameron Patent No. 1,752,328. issued April 1, 1930. It should be understood, furthermore, that the seaming mechanism disclosed in that patent and here conventionally shown is illustrated merely since my present invention is not confined to, employment with any specific design of seaming mechanism..

Near its lower end the shaft 14 is provided with a worm wheel 32 operable through a worm gear from a shaft 33 provided with a handwheel (not shown) by which the machine may be manually turned over when necessary. The bevel pinion I! previously mentioned meshes with and drives a bevel ear 3'4 fixed upon a horizontal countershaft 35 extending longitudinally of the machine near the bottom of the housing which shaft carries also a cam member 36 provided with a cam groove 31. a cam member 33 provided with a cam groove 39; a cam member 4| provided with a cam groove 42. a bevel gear 43. and a bevel gear 44,

r all desi ned to operate various parts of the me.-

chine in ti ed relation as will be later explained.

A yoke 45 straddling the shaft 35 is verticafly recinrocated bv the cam member 38 through a roller cam follower 46 located in the cam groove 31. the reci rocation of this yoke being imparted to a rod 41 attached at its lower end to the yoke and. extending upwardly through the hollow shaft H to the top of the. machine where it is-connected with a lever or rocker arm 43 fulcrumed at 43 and connected at 5| to the upper end of a a hermeticseal to prevent leakage into the vacuum chamber along the rod.

The can bodies with their superposed caps are brought in succession by the intermittently operable turret, to be later described, beneath and in vertical alignment with the seaming chuck 23 against which they are then lifted by an elevating when in depressed position, as shown in Fig. 1,

is disposed in. a housing formed by an annular flange or rib 59 depending from the bottom plate 6| of the vacuum chamber and a packing gland member 62 secured tothe flange and equipped with a packing nut 63 and suitable compressible packing 64 by which the vacuumv chamber is sealed at this point against leakage along the reciprocating rod 55. I

The turret designated generally by reference character 66 is provided with a series of radially opening pockets 61, each shaped and proportioned to receive a can body such as designated by reference character 68. The upper end of each pocket being cut back to provide a supporting shoulder 69 adapted to receive and support a can cap or end H in vertical aligned relation with its respective can body disposed in the pocket.

This turret is carried upon a shaft 12 which within the housing of the machine is provided with a star wheel I3 forming one member of 1 the Geneva stop motion, the other member ofv which consists of an actuating roller 14 (Fig. 1)

carried by an arm I5 which is'flxed upon a continuously rotating shaft 16 mounted in a suitable bearing 11 and provided at its lower end with a bevel gear I8 meshing with and driven by the bevel gear 43. The segmental arcuate shoulder 19 carried by shaft 16 immediately above the arm 15 cooperates with the concave portions of the star wheel 13 to retain the turret'against accidental movement between intermittent actuations of the turret by the arm 15.

The lower face of the turret is machined to fit snugly against the lower plate 6| of the vacuum chamber, and the upper face of the a turret is similarly machined for a close fit with a top plate 8| arranged parallel with the plate 6|. By an accurate machining of the surfaces of these plates and of the upper and lower faces of the turret, I am enabled to produce a close 7 running fit between the turretand the plates which affords an effective hermetic seal which prevents vacuum leakage from the vacuum chamber between the turret and its cooperative top and bottom plates. The periphery of the turret is sealed against leakage from the chamber by sealing plates 82 and 33 arcuately shaped to conform .to the curvature of the turret and adjustably mounted by slot and bolt connections 84 so that when properly adjusted a metal to. metal 'sliding fit is afforded which effectually prevents vacuum leakage from the vacuum chamber along the vertical faces of the turret. In this manner I have provided an efficient seal between the turret and the vacuum chamber without the employment of springs or compres sible packings of any nature which would be subject to wear and deterioration resulting in eventual leakage which has constituted one of the heretofore annoying problems in vacuum packmachines of this character.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated the position of the cluded by arcuate metal retaining members 88 and 8! respectively and that beyond the seamin station displacement of a closed can from its pocket is precluded by a short retaining finger 88 carried by the sealing plate 82. It should be understood that the retaining members 88 and 81 are likewise attachedto the sealing plate 88.

The feeding of the filled can bodies and their ends in timed relation into the turret pockets is accomplished by mechanism which will now be described. The bevel gear 44 through a companion gear 88 drives a transverse shaft 8I carry ing a sprocket wheel over which is trained a drive chain 88 passing over idlers 84 and 88 (Fig. 1) arPd encircling a sprocket wheel 88 fixed on v a shaft 81 immediately beneath the forward portion of the turret. This shaft carries intermediate its ends a sprocket wheel 88 over.which is trained a conveyor chain 88equipped at spaced intervals with can body feeding dogs I8I. By these dogs the filled can bodies 88 are brought in succession in spaced relation into cooperative relation with the successive turret'pockets.

vIt will be observed from Fig. 1 that the can bodies'are fed toward the turret by the chain conveyor 88 below the plane of the turret and that the upper ends of the feeding dogs I8I clear the lower face of-the turret to obviate any possibility of interference between the dogs and the turret during their respective movements. The

filled bodies are, however, during the latter portion of their travel under the influence of the dogs I M gradually elevated without abrupt change in either direction or speed until the bottoms of the bodies are disposed just above the plane of the upper face of the bottom plate 8I K so that upon movement of the' turret a body disposedin a turret pocket willmove onto such plate to be supported thereon during the remainder of its travel in the pocket. This gradual elevation of each can body from the plane of the conveyor chain 88 into a pocket of,the turretis effected by a plate I82 (Figs; 1 and 3) which is slotted to accommodate the conveyor 88 and is carried by a supporting bracket I88 fixed to the upper end of a reciprocatory rod I84 connected to and actuated by a yoke I88 straddling the shaft 88 and provided with a cam follower I88 riding in the cam groove 42 of the cam member 4|. 8 As each can body ismoved by the conveyor .88 onto this plate I82, the plate is gradually raised thereby, gradually elevating the body as it is moved toward the turret by the "conveyorwith the result that the body moves in plate I82 recedes to its lowered position to recan body advanced by the conceive the next veyor 88.

Simultaneously with the feeding of a can body into theturret, a cap for such'body is fed into position in the turret pocket above the can body bymechanism for which no novelty is herein claimed and whichwfll now-be described in a general-way. I The caps or ends designated I88 are held in supe p relation in a magazine I88 above a guideway III disposed in a horizontal plane common with the cap supporting shoulders 88 of the turret. A reciprocatory feed bar II2 equipped with feed dogs I I8 is adapted to remove the caps in succession from the bottom of the magazine and advance them into the'successive turret pockets. .It is reciprocated by a bar orfulcrumed at I2I upon the machine frame and actuated by a connecting rod I22 attached to a crank pin I28 carried by a wheel or disc I24 formed with or driven by the previously mentioned idler 88.' At each rotation of the crank 39 pin I28, a complete reciprocation of the feed bar 2 is effected, thereby delivering a cap into position above its respective body in a turret pocket.

To preclude retractive movement with the feed bar of a delivered cap, a spring dog I28 is mounted on the forward top plate I28, this dog being adapted to permit the feeding of a cap beneath it while preventing return movement of the cap out of the pocket.

The plate I28 beneath which the caps are fed forms in eifect a continuation of the top plate 8 I, as will be apparent from Fig. 1; but this plate is hinged at I21 so' that it may be swung upwardly to permit access to a body and cap In the forward turret pocket so that should a jam oc cur at this point through a defective cap or body or for other reasons such defect may be remedied by the operator by simply swinging the plate upwardly from operative position. The plate is normally held in operative position against movement by an overlying holding lug I28 removably secured by a screw I28 or otherwise to the web of the sealing plate 88. r

The conveyor 88 driven by the sprocket I28 is trained over a sprocket wheel I8I fixed on a shaft I82 which carries at its opposite end a sprocket wheel I88 (Fig. 2') for the purpose of driving a drive chain I84 trained over a sprocket wheel I 88 on a shaft I88 which also carries a sprocket wheel I81. A companion sprocket wheel I88 is carried by a shaft I88 at the in-feed end of the machine and a flat link conveyor I4I is.

trained over the sprocket wheels I81 and I 88 and is driven by the sprocket wheel I81,

The can bodies to be operated upon are placed upon the conveyor I4I by hand or automatically and are carried the i'eby to the left, viewing Fig. 2, between spaced guide bars I42 and I48. The

bar I48 :15 laterallyoflset intermediate its length as indicated at L44 to permit lateral 'displaceguided in their travel toward the turret between the offset portion I44 and acompanion guide bar I48. c

'The conveyor I4I is a'fiat conveyor without feed dogs and the can bodies are continuously advanced thereby in whatever relation, either spaced apart or contiguous, they are placed upon the conveyor. To insure theiftransfer oritothe' conveyor 88 in proper relationto the feed dogs -I.8I carried thereby, transfer mechanism comprising apusher I48 carried by a lever I41 fulfollower I49, the spring I52 actuates the pusher crumed at I48 is provided. This lever is normally held in the retracted position shown in Fig. 2 by a. cam follower I49 depending from the lever which is caused to follow the contour of a cam II on the shaft I32 by a tractile spring I52. As the depression I53 in the face of the cam I5I registers at each revolution of the cam with the for transfer, I have provided safety mechanism,

illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5. This mechanism comprises a stop or abutment consisting of an upright arm I 54 pivoted at I55 to the frame of the machine and having a forwardly extending abutment portion I56 disposed in proximity to the end of the lever I41 and a laterally extending portion I51 provided with an adjustable abutment head I58 disposed in the path of a can body being advanced by the conveyor I 4|. A tractile spring I59 normally urges the abutment member toward the right into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 against an adjustable stop IBI. When the pivoted member is held against the stop by the spring I59.the abutment end I56 is disposed in the path of the end of the lever I41 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. '2 so that operation of this lever under the influence of spring I52 is precluded. This position of the parts is assumed and the operation of the pusher is precluded at all times except when the abutment is moved into inoperative position against the action of spring I59 by an advancing can body in which case such can body is disposed in proper position to be transferred on to the conveyor 99, as illusand from the vacuum chamber.

trated in Fig. 2. By this mechanism, jams and I injury to canv bodies which would be occasioned by operation of the pusher when a can body was improperly positioned for transfer are obviated.

From the foregoing it should be-apparent that filled can bodies placed on the conveyor I4I are carried by this conveyor into proper position to be transferred to proper position on the chain conveyor 99 by the pusher I46 and that unless so properly positioned the pusher is prevented from operating. By the conveyor 99 the bodies are carried in spaced. relation on to the elevating plate or platform I92 by which they are elevated during their final advancing movement into a pocket of the turret. Simultaneously a cap has been. fed from the magazine I09 into the pocket above the can body where it is supported v chuck 29 where, by the operation, of the seaming rollers ill, the head is double seamed onto the body. While in the chamber the contents of the can body are subjectedto the vacuumizing action of the chamber, a partial vacuum being created in the chamber through suction applied thereto through the pipe I62.

Upon completion of the double seaming opera tion, the closed can is advanced by the turret into alignment with the discharge chute- I63 into which it is positively discharged by a rotating arm I 64 carried upon a shaft I65 (Fig. 2) which is equipped with a worm gear I66 adapted to be driven by worm I61 mounted on the shaft 91 (all as shown in Fig. 2).

The double seaming operation is performed under a partial vacuum. Leakage from the chamber around the turret is precluded by the accurate fit of the chamber walls with the opposed surfaces of the turret which affords an effective hermetic seal, and leakage from the chamber around the shaft I4, the chuck supporting rod 55 and the knock-out rod 52 is precluded by adequate packing glands which, because all of the parts are of the slow moving type, are not subjected to destructive wear and are, therefore, capable of providing eflicient seals during long continued use of the machine.

- the following claims.

I claim: I

1. A vacuum can closing machine comprising a rotatable turret having can body and cap receiving pockets, a vacuum chamber provided with an opening through which a segment of said turret extends into the chamber, said opening having end walls arranged to sealingly engage the periphery of the turret and parallel rigid top and bottom walls machined to sealingly engage the opposed faces of the turret whereby the chamber is sealed, a removable top plate overlying a portion of said turret exteriorly of said vacuum chamber, said plate having means thereon normally permitting feeding of a cap into one of said cap-receiving pockets but preventingmovement of said cap out of said pocket, double seaming mechanism mounted in said chamber, and means for delivering can bodies and caps to said turret.

. 2. A vacuum can closing machine comprising a vacuum chamber, a rotatable turret mounted to extend into said chamber, said turret being provided with, can body and cap receiving pockets, rigidly mounted metal plates having machined faces affording a metal to metal contact with said in said chamber.

3. A vacuum can closing machine comprising a vacuum chamber, double seaming mechanism therein, a rotatable turret projecting into said chamber, said turret having a series of can body and cap-receiving pockets formed therein, rigidly mounted metal plates forming portions of the chamber walls engaging the top and bottom of said turret with a machined surface metal to metal contact to provide a hermetic'seal for said chamber around said turret, and a displaceable plate disposed to normally overlie at least one of the pockets in said turret, said plate'having means thereon normally permitting feeding of acap into one of said cap-receiving pockets but preventing movement of said cap out of said pocket.

4. In a can closing machine, the combination of a rotatable turret provided with can body receiving pockets, top and. bottom platesbetween which said turret is adapted to rotate, a removable front top plate overlying the pocket positioned to receive a can body, a conveyor tor-advancing can bodies toward said turret in proximity to one edge of said bottom plate, and a vertically reciproca'ble plate disposed directly beneath said removable plate, means for raising said vertically reciprocable plate'to elevate a can,-

body from said conveyor into an aligned turret pocket and to support the same in said pocket until rotative movement of said turret carries said body onto said bottom plate.

5. In a can closing machine, the combination of a vacuum chamber including a bottom plate extending outside the confines of the chamber, a turret extending into said chamber and provided with can body receiving pockets, a conveyor having one end disposed beneath said turret, an elevator plate onto which said can bodies are moved by said conveyor, means for raising said plate to elevate a can body into one of said pockets during the advance of said body by the conveyor, and means for imparting a rotary movement to said turret to transfer such can body from the elevator plate onto said bottom plate by which of a rotatable turret provided with can body receiving pockets, a conveyor including a chain having one end disposed beneath 'said turret, a slotted elevator plate straddling the chain be neath said turret and onto which can bodies are moved by said chain and means for raising said plate during the advance of ;a body thereon by the conveyor to position the same in an aligned pocket of the turret.

'7. In a can closing machine, the combination of a vacuum chamber having an opening defined by rigid metal walls, a rotatable turret positioned in said opening and having a metal to metal hermetically sealing contact with said walls, a conveyor chain extending into proximity to said turret, the lower wall or said chamber extending beneath the turret into proximity to said chain, and the upper wall of 'the chamber extending outwardly over said chain, an elevating device for elevating a can body from' said chain into the turret to position its upper end in contact with said outwardly extending upper wall and its lower end above the plane of said extended lower wall, and means for rotating said turret to move the elevated can body oif said elevating device and onto said lower wall. ALLAN M. CAMERON. 

